With conventional hand rail systems and designs, it is common for the customer to have to special order the particular size and length required. The components would then be made to order and shipped to the building site where an installer would be required to complete the installation. Conventional installations might also call for welding or other specialized techniques that might not be normally possible for the average consumer.
In different installations, it may be desirable to have illumination provided for the walkway, stairs, or other passage in which the railing is installed. Conventional lighting solutions such as in-wall lighting installations may not be practical for a particular application. This may be particularly true where lighting is being retrofitted into an existing space and it is not desirable to run electrical service through the wall to the location to be lit or there is no nearby wall conveniently located through which to run electrical service.
Improvements to conventional hand rail or railing systems are desirable to provide easier installation and configuration, and also to aid installation of lighting in conjunction with the hand rail or railing system.